Star UAB wide receiver Iverson Hooks is in the Transfer Portal

January 2, 2026 – Birmingham – Standout UAB wide receiver Iverson Hooks announced that he was entering the portal in late December.

2025 was a disappointing year for the Blazers but it was a breakout season for Hooks – a Pike Road, Alabama produce - who recorded 72 catches for 927 yards and seven touchdowns for UAB on the year. That is an incredible average of 12.7 yards per catch, earning him All American Athletic Conference honors.

Hooks has visits scheduled with Wisconsin, Indiana, Oklahoma State, LSU, Auburn, Oregon, and Louisville.

Hooks has had 97 career catches for 1,225 yards, and ten touchdowns across his four seasons at UAB. He is senior but he two redshirt years, including a medical redshirt in 2023 after a season‑ending injury so technically he is a redshirt sophomore.

Hooks is undersized at just 5'10", 175 pounds. He is primarily a slot receiver, but he has shown that he can catch a high volume of targets while creating high separation between himself and defenders.

Hooks was a 3‑star athlete coming out of high school as Hooks a dual‑threat QB with elite efficiency before suffering a catastrophic ACL injury during his junior season. His high school film shows the same traits he uses now as a wide receiver: burst, acceleration, and open‑field vision.

He was also a standout baseball player in high school.

His portal entry also triggered a notable NIL contract dispute covered by BroBible.

UAB's collective inserted language in his NIL contract that may mean that the collective will sue Hooks for every dollar that they paid him for his time at UAB. Most NIL deals don't require full repayment if a player transfers, but UAB operates differently than other schools and apparently Hooks' contract includes a rare "buyout‑style" clause. The contracts are not made public so the Alabama Gazette cannot confirm the wording of his NIL deal.

Hooks went from being a lightly used player that had to change positions, deal with two coaching changes, and rehab a devastating injury to one of the best Group of Six receivers in the country in 2025. This has dramatically raised his market value.

This is one of the first high‑profile cases where a player enters the portal and the collective claims he owes all of his NIL money back. The contract terms may be enforceable. How the courts (if it goes that far) settles this could have dramatic repercussions on future NIL contracts far beyond UAB.

To comment or ask a question email: brandonmreporter@gmail.com